Detective in Another World: Solving Crimes with Necromancer System-Chapter 102: Pricey Reunion

Edward’s eyes widened in terror at the sight before him.

Seraphine’s body went stiff as the sword plunged straight into her chest. Her eyes widened for only a second before they lost their focus, turning into a complete disarray.

"You want her to live, don’t you?" Auren suddenly asked, stopping the plunge of his sword right before reaching the girl’s heart.

"H-Huh?" Edward mumbled in response.

"Dwarves were an easy target. They always despised humans and elves, so turning them on our side was rather simple. The humans, however, were a bit more tricky. We spent years infiltrating the royal palace, creating an opportunity to place one of us by the king’s side. Still, after years of planning, we managed to get the second key. The elves, however, were a different story. They didn’t allow any outsiders. We dug for years without any result... until my spies told me about your conversation with the elven king..."

Auren stopped his rant halfway through to let out a chuckle, his sword still deep into Seraphine’s chest, who was already unconscious from the blood loss.

"I always knew you would play a key part in all of this, Edward. The problem was that a person can only transfer the key willingly, so there was no way for me to take it from you... unless" he suddenly took the sword out of Seraphine’s body, letting it collapse to the ground. "Life for a key, it’s not a bad deal, is it?"

Edward’s blood ran cold. Despite knowing not to trust him, he walked right into his trap, and now he had to choose between something so ancient and sacred that people had kept it hidden for centuries or his companion.

"I can let her live, or I can end her right now. What’s your choice, Edward?" Auren’s lips curved into a cunning smile as he stared down at Edward, who was still immobilised by his vine ability.

"Fine," Edward finally muttered. The moment the word left his mouth, the vines holding him dispersed.

Auren stepped forward, his walk without haste as he stretched his hand toward Edward.

The moment their eyes connected, Edward felt a sudden tug at his core. The ink mark of the key began to crawl across his skin, leaving a burning sensation through where it passed. Then it reached his palm, and as it left his skin and crawled toward Auren’s, their hands disconnected, and Edward dropped to the ground.

"Thank you, Edward. Your contribution to the new world will be remembered." Auren didn’t linger for a moment longer. He simply turned toward the tunnel leading outside and left, his footsteps echoing faintly across the cavern until he was gone.

At the same time, Edward pushed himself forward, moving toward Seraphine, who was bleeding.

Luckily, the wound was a lot more shallow than it looked. With enough rest and bandages, the girl would live. The only problem left was the spirit residing inside her, or so Edward thought, as after his gaze lingered on her for a couple of moments, a sudden notification cut through his vision.

[Extraction Available]

His eyes widened, but not willing to waste even a second, he muttered the command he said many times before.

"Extract."

In an instant, shadows began to coalesce above the girl, taking her exact shape. But unlike seraphine he knew, the figure held a scythe made of shadows, her figure resembling the person who inhabited her rather than the girl he knew.

[Shadow Queen]

The name hanging above the new summon made him frown slightly. It was unlike anything he had seen before, but before he could dwell on that, his focus snapped back to Seraphine. He ripped a few pieces of cloth, tying them against her wound, before grabbing the girl on his shoulder.

"Let’s get out of here..."

***

"Edward?" Seraphine’s raspy voice was barely audible, but to Edward, who was sitting mere inches away from her, it was more than enough.

"Welcome back," he said, with an unusual smile on his face.

The girl’s eyes, clearly disoriented, swayed across the small, wooden room.

"What are you... Where are we?" She began mumbling questions at him.

"At an inn," he replied.

"I... I..." her eyes suddenly widened as if she had just remembered everything that happened.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she tried to utter some words, but couldn’t.

"It’s okay," Edward said, embracing her in his arms.

"I... I killed them..." she finally managed to utter, but Edward was quick to shut her guilt down.

"It wasn’t you."

The girl’s slender arms suddenly let go of him, and she pulled back her head, staring straight at him. "You came for me."

"Of course," he replied, though in truth it was he who left her alone first.

The girl stared at him for a couple of moments until she suddenly leaned forward, her lips pushing against his.

Edward’s eyes widened. He pulled back slightly, surprised by the girl’s sudden action, but her slender arms wrapped around him like a pair of serpents, not letting him escape.

She pulled back on the bed, pulling him on top as her lips continued to meet his.

"You sure?" Edward suddenly asked, pulling away for a moment.

"I thought I was dead, or worse... I thought I might kill you..." She lingered for a moment as if recalling the unpleasant memories before shaking the thoughts away.

"But you saved me... again. Every time you’re there for me..." Her eyes didn’t leave his as her lips curved into a smile.

Her arms tightened around his neck, pulling him an inch or two closer.

In that moment, Edward allowed himself to forget the looming threat of Auren’s action. About how he had to sacrifice the key, the thing so sacred and ancient that it was hidden for centuries, in return for Seraphine’s life, and instead, he allowed himself to embrace the moment.

This time, it was him who leaned forward, and with that, her lips connected once more.